The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1887-11-03
TARIFF EXTORTlONS
Speech OF General r. Brinxerhof..,
ct Wilmington. o.. Saturday,
Oct. 18th 1887.

and other state officers woul of itself
ne sufi cI6 ut to demand ttention from
every tizen, but the fact that the
election for President and members of
Congress comes next year, necessarily
draws into our local canvass national
Issues, AMI national attention.
Ohio, OF all the great states OF tho
Union, is most evenly balanced, and the
most ns!tive to political changes, and
hence it IS looked to by politicians as n
barometer and guide for the next years
IGmpaiSr.
The result has been to make our
state platforms national rather than
local, and our discussions therefore arc
necr ssarily Of a similar character.
vi the state platforms not more than
ono third OF the resolutions of either
have any reference to purely state
matt, rs. and the action of vo ers, there
fore, is mere likely to lie governed by
II; ;onal than state issues
Cpcn the whole it seems fortunat,
that II is state of affairs should exist, for
it enables Us to discuss national issues
without the personalities which pertain
10 presidential or congressional cam
paign.
Personally, therefore, in the little
have TO say upon this occasion shall
Z,
purely upon their merits, without any
ref renee TO the candidates to be voted
for.
Fortunately they are all men of good
character, anil are creditable repre-
sentatives of their respective parties.
TIE Republican and the Democratic
candidates for Governor are 10th my
personal iricn'is, and have high regard
for 10th OF them, and therefore all
have 10 say will be simply for or against
the principles they represent and l
trust we shall approach our discussions
in this spirit.
Surely the time has come at last
when we can discuss economical and
administrative subjects without per-
sonal animosities. The war of the Re
f'eiicn is quarter OF a century behind
us, and slavery is dead and buried, and
gone to dust. The administration of
President Cleveland has demonstrated
beyond cavil that there is no more
danger of a rebel restoration under
democratic rule than there is under
republican rule. We have no internal
strifes, or foreign complications to
distract us, and hence we ought to dis
cuss pending issues parely upon their
merits. and without passion or fear.
What the SC issu,s are it is not diff
cult 10 tell. Ju.t now, that which is
most prom nent, and upon which the
two great parties are most sharply an
taconized is that OF taxation.
1t is a question which csnnot be
.postponcd, Tor under Our present system
eof w:'r taxation we are accumulating a
surplus of a hundred millions of dollars
annually, which ii unchecked will
rapidly Withdraw from circulation all
the money of the country.
All parties admit that this condition
of Affairs cannot continue without
financial ruin.
This collapse has only been tided
over temporarily by buying up bonds
not yet due, at high rates of premium,
and this expedient will soon come to an
end.
To obtain relief permanently, rs all
parties admit, there are but two ways,
viz: ly squandering the surplus in
needles, expenditures, and the other by
reducing taxation.
The Republicans, doubtless. would
accept the first expedient if they had
9th houses OF congress, AMI the prrsi-
dent, IS they did for twenty years after
The war, hut fortunately they have only
The senate, and therefore nolhin, is lett
but 10 reduce taxation.
In doin- this the Republicans with
substantial unanimity, are in favor OF
taking off the internal revenue dutie;
supm tobacco and liquors, and retaining
the, so called, protective Cuticj ot IT,
tarif'.
The Democrats on The 9th hanl
with substantial unaninli:y. are in f:i' or |
-of redEriRg taxation by rrduc.n. t.
.l.riff, and 20 :;r. anging it rs 10 yirii 2
fnecess nv r. venue with Tx. ii-..5 is
sure rpon the people.
Ut II were prat ticalle. n s,irc"t -,
levied the same as our sta'c an g umt.'
taxes would, by all odds, he t.,. light
End asa ST. but rs that can ..ot lie ,'rr
under present constitutional l-ruvis.ui.
the nrxt best is internal revenue 1 A.
on; hut rs that is not suiiirI ut,
must reta IL the tariff in soE.c :o-:n.:n
that We believe should Ec Il tar..r -
revtnre onv.
Taxation ty the collection o. i-.i
upon imported goods is rs oil 4. h:StcI.
but it WAS not known bv In: n:.,,Ic {,
tariff, until about THOUSAND wears -
when Moorish pirate in the " DIR
anian sea made his headquarters 1t 1
little port in the straits OF Giora tt,
on the southern coast OF Spair. Ier.
he douid conveniently ovcrh MI :,n
plumber merchant vess Ia co NM i:u-l
the ocean or going fro n the sea.
In time he found it more proi:ta;,',
to divide than to confis, ale, and so iv
yielding ha the cargo he would Civ
the merchant permit to 90 ne and Z
at will, and in this way Tariia s..vc.: tic
goose that laid the golden egg
OF course, Tarifa made monev. an IS
riches increased he built castle and a
h. Al. /
became known by the name OF IFS ound-
er Tafifa, and as modern nations hc-
gan 10 adopt his methods OF taxation,
they very properly adopted his name,
and taxation by import duties becal-c
known rs a tariff.
Before Tarifa showed the wa tariffs
Were very moderate, AMI very reason
able.
In Greece the average duty upon i'm
ports, WIS only two per cent upon her
own citizens, and five per cent upon her
subject allies. In Rome for a thousand
years the average duty was only 2. per
cent, and the highest duty ever known
to a Roman Custom House was l2l per
cent.
In Europe the average duty to-day is
less than 10 per cent.
In England, to-day, nearly one hun
cent Ol ueT euIlTe customs |
Revenue is collected from six articles,
and her whole tariff schedule includes
only twenty articles, and the average
duty is less than 8 per cent, and from !
these the protective principle is entirely
eliminated.
Cur American tariff is the highest
ever known among civilized nations,
and includes about 1000 separate ar
ticles with duties ranging IS high as
400 per cent, but on av rage it an' ut
ecu lis that Of the Mo IRISH robber
Tariia, who was content, at the h g.nst,
to Ike enc half.
Il should be remembered that tariff I
in any phLps is burden and not a
blessing, anI therefore it should lie
made rs light as possible. In order to
do this j. uIlist b, confined to its sole
OBJECT, taxation.
A lrltcctve Tariff, rs it is call 4,
does not do this, but is Levied not only
10 procure revenue for the .orerlmen,
but also for the purpose Of putting
money icto the pockets of rr.sata in
diyidua s, and often q great dtal more
than the Cow rnTent gets. :
ll example, when Congress n IS
put duty of lU0 per cent upon salt il
! as. snd about 20 per cent urGn sat :
in bulk, it compelled the i'iphtrr II :
p. Up the price of his salt .ust H. $
InI, h. and OF course the Onun';,-t :,:.i5 ,